The present invention relates to a training mouthpiece for brass instruments.
Mouthpieces for brass instruments have remained essentially unchanged throughout the history of instruments which use vibrating lips to produce the sound. The interaction between the lips and mouthpiece must be explained first, by showing how the lips function, and then by discussing the role of the mouthpiece.
In examining lip function, it is necessary to perceive an imaginary line on each lip which divides inner lip from outer lip. These lines are held together with enough pressure to keep the mouth closed (this position may be described as being halfway between the sounds of the letters "M" and "P"). There should not be so much pressure that additional portions of inner or outer lip surface press against each other. While attempting to maintain this position, air is blown at the lips (from inside the mouth). When enough force is created against the inner lips they are momentarily forced open at the center. Air escapes through this opening and the air pressure against the inner lips is lowered until the lips' muscles strength regains dominance and allows the lips to spring closed once again. In actual playing, this process occurs as often in one second as the number of vibrations necessary to sound a given pitch (example: when playing A=440, the lips will actually open and close 440 times in one second).
The purpose of the mouthpiece is:
(1) to, as efficiently as possible, transmit the lip vibrations into the instrument; PA1 (2) to create an airtight enclosure where the mouth and mouthpiece meet (where air might otherwise escape), making it easier to control the flow rate of the exhaled air and to help direct all of this air toward the center of the lips and, therefore, into the instrument; PA1 (3) to assist the non-vibrating portion of the lips in staying closed (by pressing, to some extent, the mouth against the teeth and jaw); and PA1 (4) to adjust for individual variations in jaw and lip structure by having a specific size mouthpiece to make lip function and (1), (2) and (3), above, interact and work as comfortably as possible. It is obvious that, when using a non-transparent mouthpiece, the only visible portion of the lips is the closed portion outside the mouthpiece. Teachers have traditionally felt that they have had an adequate amount of information about a student by simply studying this visible portion of the lips to see: (a) how the lips may overlap when they meet, and (b) by judging the height of the mouthpiece in relation to a horizontal line formed by the points where the lips meet (individual variations in physical make-up can mean that the imaginary lines dividing inner from outer lips can occur on different portions of either lip on the same player). PA1 (1) The lip tissue is extraordinarily responsive and slight changes in air pressure can make a large visual and tonal difference. When someone plays a trumpet, for example, the mouthpiece funnels all the air into a narrow tube (called the "lead pipe" of the instrument). Since the player can provide air at a faster rate than the lead pipe can handle we have a "back-up" effect against the outside of the lips (inside the mouthpiece) called "back pressure". (Without an airtight seal in the training device "back pressure" cannot be created.) The combination of air pressure against the inner lips and back pressure against the outer lips (still we refer only to that portion of the mouth within the mouthpiece's inner rim) is crucial to the final lip position that is most conducive to the sound of the instrument. In a playing situation, the lips are somewhat "sandwiched" between the two air pressures and this gives added support to lip strength and strongly influences lip coordination. The lip muscles can actually relax a bit once they have attained this position because they are being helped so much by these pressures. When using the "embouchure visualizer" there is no back pressure and, therefore, the lip position formed under these circumstances in no way relates to the position formed and the strength used when playing the instrument. PA1 (2) Even with the ability to "buzz" (a common reference to lip vibration) with a visualizer, there still is no instrument involved and, therefore, only the sound of the buzz as a reference guide, and, as stated before, this buzz is often produced from a non-playing lip position.
Most successful players have difficulty relating to physical needs other than their own, especially since the successful professional relies on his own imagination's perception of what he is doing. This may relate well to himself, but often not to others. A subjective concept within the teacher is often not well communicated verbally. On the other hand, our top brass performers are also naturally gifted and do not really have to be aware of how they achieve the results that others seek and envy. These performers are the most sought after teachers, but they have little information to share on how the lips function. In fact, the general attitude among most brass performers and accomplished non-professionals is that mechanical analysis is a musically destructive practice. This attitutde is quite universally accepted.
By way of prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,228 of Windows, Jr., describes and illustrates a handheld mouthpiece visualizer for training persons to use brass instruments. The rim of a brass instrument mouthpiece is mounted in spaced relation to a long rod, for holding. At the other end of the rod is a reflective surface so that the user of the mouthpiece rim may observe and thereby develop the appropriate embouchure (lip position). There are two problems with the "practicality" of such a device:
Transparent mouthpieces have been made in the past, to a limited extent in other countries. These have been made, however, as copies of existing non-transparent mouthpieces. Because of a continuous change in the thickness of the walls of the cup, from the rim to the throat, the view of the lips is distorted and of very limited viewing range. Variations in the thickness of a piece of transparent material change the size and shape of an image viewed through this material. When this variation in thickness conforms to the curvature of a single radius (this could be on both sides simultaneously or on one side if the other side is flat), and if the object to be viewed lies inside the focal point (which is determined by the particular radius/radii of the curve(s) combined with the distance the transparent material is held from the object), there is magnification. In the case of transparent copies of existing non-transparent mouthpieces, there are typically simultaneous changes in sizes both longitudinally and laterally along the mouthpiece cup, producing a very distorted image with limited viewing range.
It is the purpose of the present invention to produce a training mouthpiece cup for brass instruments, of excellent playing qualities and of visual capacity which is undistorted or of minimal distortion.